Covid: Half of Weekend’s Premier League Fixtures Postponed

Half of the weekend’s Premier League fixtures are now off after four more games were postponed because of Covid-19 outbreaks.

The latest games affected are Southampton v Brentford, Watford v Crystal Palace, West Ham v Norwich and Everton v Leicester.

Earlier yesterday, Manchester United’s match with Brighton on Saturday was called off, along with Leicester City’s game with Tottenham on Thursday, which is part of the league’s midweek programme.

On Wednesday Brentford boss Thomas Frank called for this weekend’s top-flight fixtures to be postponed to let clubs deal with the outbreaks but the Premier League is so far resisting that.

“All other fixtures due to be played this weekend are currently scheduled to proceed as planned,” it said in a statement.

Liverpool players Fabinho, Curtis Jones and Virgil van Dijk all missed last night’s fixture with Newcastle after suspected positive tests, although manager Jurgen Klopp said that the club did not ask for a postponement.

“Honestly, I think at one point we have to make clear what exactly the rules are, but of course with three players out and this squad we wouldn’t have asked to not play a football game,” he told BT Sport.

Thursday’s other match between Chelsea and Everton is set to go ahead despite four of the London side’s players testing positive – Romelu Lukaku, Timo Werner, Callum Hudson-Odoi and the injured Ben Chilwell.